whats breadboard metal plate for ?

[criss]

I got myself a breadboard that has a seprate thin metal plate . Sorry to sound stupid but whats the plate for . The breadboard has a pre stick type backing . Is the metal ment to be stuck to the breadboard back ?

Thanx

[The Tone God]

Yes. The contacts in the board, that connect the parts together within a column, are only held in the plastic case by the sticky foam pad backing. After a few hard pushes the contacts will start pushing against the foam and possible through the foam. The metal plate gives the foam the support the contacts need.

Andrew

[bioroids]

Hi!

I asked this a month ago and we came to the conclusion it was to act as a ground plane, but you may be right.

Luck

Miguel

[adjwilley]

Wait, but if the wires you poke in are jamming down into the metal plate, then you will start shorting your circuits through the metal plate.  That can't be the answer.

[John Lyons]

There is a metal channel that's stamped with all the contacts for each set of holes.
The sticky foam isolates the metal channel from the base plate as well as physically mounting the two pieces.
You would have to penetrate through the metal channel through the foam and into the baseplate for it to short out.
I'm not that aggressive with the breadboard, are you?
The metal base plate is somewhat of a ground plane though if you connect it to the ground lug.